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22 May 2014

Books for Cooks: My mecca in Notting Hill

How is it that hairdressers know everything?! Its fantastic!

I usually don't find myself terribly chatty when I'm at the hairdresser (its such a rare time to be alone and quiet, so I'd much rather just be for a while), but my last hairdresser, well he was a foodie.

And so we chatted. A lot.

He told me about so many great foodie things to do in London, one of which was to visit Books for Cooks in Notting Hill.

It doesn't really need any further clarification, its a bookshop filled with cookbooks, and cookbooks alone.

Just off Portobello Road and right across the road from The Notting Hill Bookshop is the fairly unassuming and unpretentious haven for foodies, with not only cookbooks, but also a test kitchen/ cafe at the back.

I have been wanting to get the new(ish) Donna Hay Fresh and Light, so that was my excuse to meet up with friends in Notting Hill and check out Books for Cooks.

Oh my goodness I was in heaven! If I was there on my own, I could/would have spent hours and hours pouring through all the different titles that you don't come across in the very vanilla Waterstones!

I couldn't get over the fact that all of the books in the store were cookbooks! It was simply incredible!

A pretty substantial collection of Australian Women's Weekly!

In the "test kitchen" (aka cafe), the chefs test out recipes from all the cookbooks and serve them for reviewing from customers.

Over years and years and sampling, the chefs have compiled a series of Favourite Recipes to showcase a wide range of unusual and popular dishes that customers have loved. I bought the first of the series (another 8 to buy!).

I am signing up for a workshop, so will report back after that has happened, but for now, I have my Fresh & Light to pour through, as well as a copy of the Favourite Recipes Book 1.

If you fancy yourself a bit of a foodie or if you just love reading cookbooks you will LOVE this store and I highly recommend dropping by on your way to being "just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her...".

Psst!! If you are looking for a little more meg-made, I'd LOVE for you to follow along!